CHAPTER 137: CRIMSON CHAOS

Jasper caught it midair, inspecting it briefly.

Then, holding it tight in his palm, he looked at everyone present and declared:

"I’ll keep the Principal busy. You... cause as much chaos as you can. Wait for my signal."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, the orb vanishing into his robe.

A few minutes later, he returned to the VIP booth.

He sat behind the Principal once more, wearing the same calm expression as before.

Like nothing unusual had happened at all.

Back in the battle arena—

Riven stumbled onto the eighth column, the platform shifting violently beneath him.

His violet eyes locked with a pair of golden ones.

Rina.

She stood like a lioness ready to pounce, her piercing gaze fixed on him.

A cold shiver crept down Riven’s spine.

Then the sound echoed across the stadium:

"5 minutes remaining!"

Rina’s lips curved into a dangerous smile—

—but then, she slipped.

She fell awkwardly on the platform, arms scrambling for balance.

Riven blinked in surprise, then let out a soft sigh of relief. With no hesitation, he vanished in a flicker of light.

Just before disappearing, his voice rang out:

"You should’ve blocked the space if you wanted to stop me."

He reappeared in the ninth column.

Directly across from him stood Alex—his hand gripping an emerald-steel support bar, unmoving and calm.

Riven’s pupils shrank as he instinctively reached into the void—

But nothing happened.

He blinked again. Still nothing.

The space was sealed.

It felt like running into a locked gate.

Alex’s grin widened, a chill flickering in his eyes.

He whispered, just loud enough for Riven to hear:

"I can finally beat your face in. Your nose looks really good, by the way."

Riven’s fury exploded.

With a roar, he charged forward like a raging bull, daggers glowing in both hands.

Clang!

Alex pulled his spear from its embedded slot on the platform.

Shlung!

In one fluid motion, he spun the spear forward—lightning-black energy crackling around its length.

It moved like a coiled serpent, fast and merciless.

Slash!

Riven jerked back in time to dodge the strike—but not completely.

A line of red bloomed on his cheek. Shallow, but sharp.

He winced.

Alex’s grin deepened, and he spoke louder now—his voice reaching the crowd:

"That felt good. But I want more blood."

The stadium exploded with cheers.

The once-unshakable Space Devil—mocked and cornered.

Riven gritted his teeth, his thoughts spiraling into chaos.

This bastard... he’s toying with me.

I’ll show you.

No... I can’t use Galaxy Sword Slash—not here. If I do, I won’t just lose the match... I could be expelled. Fucking old bastards.

He glared at Alex, rage boiling over, and lunged forward.

His daggers flashed—like twin bolts of lightning.

But Alex was ready.

He lowered his stance just slightly, both hands gripping the spear with deadly precision. With perfect timing—

Clang! Clang!

—he parried both blades to the sides with sharp, clean force.

Then—

Thud!

Crunch!

The butt of the spear slammed straight into Riven’s face.

Riven staggered back.

Warm blood began pouring from his nose.

His already-broken nose cracked again, and the pain hit him like a flood.

He clutched his face with both hands, blood seeping between his fingers.

His eyes turned glassy, vision blurring with tears.

Pain stabbed through his skull like hot needles.

And then—

"ARGGHHHHHHHH! FUCKKKKKK! FFFFUCKKKKKKK!"

His scream rang out, raw and filled with agony.

The entire stadium fell silent.

Every spectator frozen in place.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

Alex just smiled, the tip of his spear resting against the ground.

He whispered with quiet satisfaction:

"That felt good."

In the VIP booth, Jasper calmly tapped the black card hidden in his pocket—once.

Back in the Battle Arena...

Riven glared at Alex, fury and humiliation burning in his chest.

The announcement echoed loud and clear:

"3 minutes remaining!"

"Fuck..." he muttered.

Then, more quietly—almost pleading:

"System, help me here... what should I do? I’m out of options..."

BOOM!

The entire earth shook.

The stadium trembled as dust fell from the ceilings.

Spectators looked around in panic.

And then—

ROOOOOAAAARRRRRR!

A draconic scream ripped through the sky like thunder.

Everyone’s eyes turned upward—

A Crimson Wyvern clung to the highest stadium wall.

Its crimson scales glistened under the sun, claws digging into the stone like daggers.

Another sound erupted—this one more primal, deep, and building—

"Hoo... hoo... hoooo... HOO, HOO, HOO!!"

The howls of a gorilla—rising from eerie calm to wild crescendo.

Then it appeared—

A Golden-Furred Gorilla leaped onto the opposite stadium wall, towering, massive.

It stood like a warlord above a battlefield, staring down at the arena and crowd like they were ants.

Suddenly—

CACKLE!

A chilling, deranged laugh erupted from within the spectators themselves.

Chaos broke loose.

A Hyena, grinning with fanged, humanoid teeth, leapt into the stands.

Blood sprayed.

Screams filled the air.

People scrambled, trampling over each other to escape.

The stadium—once a place of honour and combat—descended into pandemonium.

Outside the Arena...

Jasper slipped quietly into the shadows beneath the stands, unnoticed amidst the rising chaos.

Hidden in a dark corner, he reached into his robe and pulled out the golden-yellow orb the Crimson Wyvern had given him.

His calm expression faded.

With a whisper, he swallowed the orb in his hand in one go.

BOOM!

His aura flared—violent, twisted, like a tempest erupting in a cage.

The shadows thickened around him, and his eyes gleamed coldly.

Back Inside the Stadium...

Carnage ruled.

The Hyena bounced from one human to another, fangs glistening with blood, cackling like a deranged banshee.

He chomped down on arms, necks, torsos—laughing louder with each bite, as if enjoying an all-you-can-eat buffet of agony.

Screams echoed.

People ran in every direction, but many couldn’t escape fast enough.

The teachers reacted instantly, bursting into action, rushing into the crowd to save as many as they could.

Spells and barriers lit the air as they intercepted monsters, but the chaos was spreading too fast.

Above them, the Principal rose into the sky, his powerful aura surging like a rising tide.

He headed straight for the Golden-Furred Gorilla, who loomed on the highest wall, watching the devastation like a silent king of slaughter.

But then—

SHHHHHHHHHK!

A black blur appeared mid-air—right in the Principal’s path.

A man in dark robes, face completely hidden under a shadowed hood, stood floating without wings or aura trails.

Yet the air around him was cracked—as if space itself feared to be near him.

The Principal’s eyes narrowed.

"...A Sage?"

The stranger said nothing for a moment. The silence between them was like a drawn blade.

Then a growl came from under the hood:

"You cannot interfere. You know what will happen if you do."

The Principal’s jaw clenched, his fists trembling.

He tried to see through the veil of power around the man—but couldn’t.

Only one thing was clear:

He was strong.

"Who are you?" the Principal demanded.

A long pause.

Then a cold voice answered:

"I am what you humans created..."

The Principal’s pupils shrank.

He looked down at the stadium—screams, fire, blood.

The Crimson Wyvern was perched on the outer rim of the wall, wings spread wide, belching searing flames onto the crowd.

Smoke billowed upward as hundreds tried to flee but were caught in the inferno.